Sister Mary Monkeypants Gets Mischevious

Who am I kidding, "gets" mischevious! Her middle name is mischevious. Sister Mary Mischevious Monkeypants. So she did call me from Oklahoma the other day, pining for a seder. I tried to explain to Kathy that they should open the door for Elijah (she thought I meant while she was at work) and that Matzoh was like a giant cracker, but she asked would it be good with bacon on top. SMMP decided she would just start some junk up on April Fools Day instead. She snuck onto the phone AGAIN, and had some really specific pranks for me to carry out: I had to yarn bomb the street lamp in front of Purl's. Also, she told Ward to lock the front door and leavea note for the horde after school. The note said "Moved- left no forwarding address- Occupant" but I left the back unlocked. She had me leave a horrible picture on Lindsey's computer desktop but lets not go there. I had to buy Merino this GIANT bone, twice as big as he is. She even impersonated me and managed to piss off the prude at Kilwins. She actually called there and demanded "chocolate poo" for April Fools Day for the horde, and they got offended and informed her that they do NOT create "inappropriate" things. Hey lady, EVERBODY POOPS (yelled Sister Mary Monkeypants). She has been one busy sock monkey. I'm exhausted. The only prank I got was Mattie pretending to have an F. Which is kinda funny.

Thrifting score

Last night was really nice, Lindsey took me and Stacey-face to Bouchon for dinner. It's very intimate and the food is fantastic. Stacey said last time she was there she saw Andie Mcdowell. I drank a rasberry margarita and laughed like a horse all evening.

Today was pretty fly also. I went over to Lizabee's house and we watched the video for the OWL program that the parents have to see. We also looked at the awesome costumes for Lizabee's play. She is a sewing genius. Then we went to AC Moore and the Goodwill CLEARANCE store, out behind the regular store on Patton. WOW. A dollar per pound for clothing! Needless to say, I dug around there for a few hours. I got a little girl's halter dress, which i just sewed up the bottom and now I have a new bag with cute buttons on it.

Also stopped into the consignment shop ETC and ruined my bank account by finding the perfect office chair for Purl's. Also scored these crazy silk curtain things, and put them up in the boys' room to replace Ben's tacky sheet fort. It looks so cool!!! See what you think. That's ben celebrating his new room divider by drawing himself a mustache, beard, and wearing a hat.

Birthday Seriousness Oh Noes!

It took me a week to figure out what I wanted to say on my birthday this year. I'm not very exciting in person, not a terrific knitter, a particularly good parent or that great of a wife, but somehow online I seem to have a knack for making and keeping some really fantastic friends who are very creative, talented, funny, and loving. With these friends in mind, I am blogging as if I have something important to say. Possibly no one will read this and thats ok too, but just in case my tractor girls peek or the terrific Asheville crowd is following me, these are my birthday thoughts.

I have been concerned with a few things this year. Chiefly, this earthquake in Haiti. I wonder, every day, how those people are doing without shelter, living there with family dead or missing, children, animals left to fend for themselves. I worry. Let's not forget them.

I have a new hero this year. A good friend of mine was diagnosed with breast cancer. I have watched her slog through the ick and the fear and the whole terrible ordeal with a determination that I cannot even convey. I'm so very proud of her.

Just this week I witnessed another epic battle between good and evil when the horrible landlord of the Miles building downtown decided to get nasty with the owners of the Humor Shop. These are good, decent people with children to provide for, making do as best they can, and that landlord is trying to grind them under her expensive heel. I keep wondering how I can help.

This year has definately been epic. I'm turning 42 today, no big deal at all, yet I've been fussed over and spoiled so much that I'm embarassed. This is a positive thing, being so rotten. I have a theory that until your loved ones really make a big deal out of your birthday, until you really feel that people are celebrating your life on the planet, you'll need the party and the songs and the cake. This year, when I was asked "what do you want for your birthday?" I thought about Haiti, and my friend recovering from chemo, and my new friends from the humor shop, and I thought about how I'd love to help them all, heal them all, no more fevers, no more worries, a new job for Brenda, for Bruce, and I thought about my family, the loud boys and the crazy dogs, this unique city that I've come to love, and I don't need one single thing. I'm grateful for everyone, everything. Im lucky to be here.

42 is no big deal but Im so blessed to have these beautiful people thanking me with their gifties and their love. What else can I say? That is all.

Horde of Zombie Pugs?

Yesterday was Valentine's Day and the Chinese New Year, plus there was a great Mardi Gras parade downtown. I love Mardi Gras. Well, I love cake anyway, and there's king cake involved. And feathers. Feathers are pretty cool. Too bad I missed it, but we had more snow and ice and Ward wrecked the car trying to avoid hitting a bus.
We walked up to the store though, and got everything to make Ward his Valentine cake. Then I spent the day obsessing about what we would do if the school called and one of the boys was sick and I couldn't get to them. I did start the Everlasting Bagstopper, or as I am calling it, the gobsmacking bagstopper. It's an easy knit. Pretty too, in the Katia cotton. Had to stop my pretzel sweater, I can't get any help on what to do after the second cast on. I'll ask Gay at Wed knit group since she's made it before.
So this morning school was cancelled again, and I was carrying some cake to bed to avoid the blast of cartoons. I don't really recommend carrying cake to bed if you live with a herd of pugs. That is all.

Cupcakes, Mardi Gras and Ravolympics

Tons happening as usual here, and February is packed full of shenanigans. I missed the fetish ball because I got overexcited about my new teapot Cheryl. No lie. I was taking sexy pictures of the teapot late that night when it dawned on me that I was supposed to be at the ball. Is this a sign? I'm turning 42 later this month. I think yes. It doesn't take much to get me going these days. HA!

TeamSockMonkey is casting on tonight when the Olympic Torch is lit, and I have already ordered goodies for the team through our shop on cafepress. I set it up so all swag proceeds go to Doctors Without Borders for Haiti. Urbangypz is our official prize sponsor, donating her luscious hand dyed yarn to our winners...go team!

Meanwhile, the shop has been jumping, Lindsey finished her chemo and THAT is great news. My lil recycled magazine stitch markers are starting to sell too- yay!

I'm linking to BlogAsheville because she has some really cute valentines day pictures and info about local stuff happening for Sunday and even mardi gras!

Best Week Ever

Finally getting to blog! Christmas was a whirlwind, and we had lots of traveling afterwards getting Knittymac moved up here and settled. Gearing up for Ravelympics and sock wars, and fundraising for Haiti was next. Our direct link to donate to Haiti is: http://www.firstgiving.com/puggerhugger
The funds are going directly to Doctors without Borders. So, anyways I finally got to go to Connecticut to see Brenda! I feel like I have a whole family there now, I just loved them all. It was such a great trip! We did a lot of cozy knitting, coffee drinking, watched loads of Father Ted, and visited with Sophia and Bronwen! We went to Brenda's LYS which was lovely, and WEBS! It was relaxing and wonderful. I cant wait to have them here for Ashevegas 2010! Geocaching with the Emperor was really fun too, and I managed a whole round on the death sock. Here are some pictures.... There's me trying to stuff Sophia into my bag and take her home, there's the sign in the candy shop where I bought Fred some goodies, and of course Dharma being a splendid sock hostess and bringing me coffee and mint ice cream. Back to the grind here, surrounded by snuggly pugs and yarn. Im happy to be home but can't wait to go back!

To Look Forward To

I kind of enjoyed 2009, and I'm predicting that 2010 will be the Year of Yarn. Let me lay it out for you: I'm lucky enough to be living in crafty Asheville, working at Purl's. I'm a cookie, and Captain of TeamSockMonkey Ravelympics 2010. You already know about the Christmas Hippo. So my year looks like this:
January Knittymac moves to Asheville, and I get to go to CT to visit Brenda! WOOHOO!!! A week of knitting and IRL hugs and giggles!
I'm using some buter-soft Debbie Bliss Pure Cotton to make this blankie for the shop. So far it has been fibercrack just as predicted. Bought some Ella Rae Latte in Amethyst (oh yeah) to do a Thermis cowl. That Latte is so soft, and it shimmers like Mirasol.
Also? SOCK WARS V I am puggerhuggersockninja!
February is time to knit a box of chocolates, and start Ravelympics! Also maybe some sort of birthday thing.
March-May I'll be saving up for Ashevegas 2010, our annual yarn crawl and social sock monkey party here in Asheville set for he last week in June.
June I'm really hoping to take the horde to some sort of beach, since Matthew has never seen the ocean. Ashevegas 2010 of course will be AWESOME!! More on that later.
July Im hoping Brenda and Don will come down here and camp out. Crossing my paws.
August- holy carp that's fall! Time to save up for SAFF. Urbangypz has decided to do a booth at SAFF this year and asked me to help her out. I can't WAIT!
Hopefully by fall I'll be finished with Ward's cardigan. *weak laugh* Also on the needles about 3 pairs of socks, the infernal wallaby, Ward's entrelac experiment...
Of interest- Jane Thornley and possibly this scarf.